Top loading article dispenser

ABSTRACT

A top loading article dispenser including an open upper end container for receiving articles with support means in the container to receive and support the articles. The support means is spring loaded to urge the support means towards the top of the container and the top of the container is provided with cover means that are pivotally secured adjacent the top thereof so that the cover means may be pivotally moved to a position for access to the container from the top thereof for loading the container with articles. The cover means comprises a pair of members pivotally secured adjacent the top of the container whereby they may be moved to a position for access to the container and thereafter moved downwardly after the container has been loaded with articles to aid in retaining the articles in position in the container. The pair of members are of less width than the open upper end of the container to provide a slot in the top of the container for access to the articles for removal from the container as desired. Spring means mounted on the container aid in retaining said pair of members in substantially a vertical position when loading articles into the container and for aiding in retaining the pair of members in a horizontal position.

United States Patent [191 Mott, Sr. et al.

[4 July 16, 1974 TOP LOADING ARTICLE DISPENSER [75] Inventors: RalphBeach Mott, Sr.; Ralph Beach Mott, Jr.; Richard C. Cantella, all ofHouston, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Reserv-A-Roll C0., Houston, Tex. [22] Filed: July 18,1973 [21] Appl. No.: 380,486

[52] US. Cl. 221/59 [51] Int. Cl A47k 10/44 [58] Field of Search 221/45,46, 59, 307, 309,

[56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 813,594 2/1906 Sexton 221/52979,124 12/1910 Bolt 221/309 1,333,045 3/1920 Swift 312/61 2,085,4796/1937 Shaffer et al. 221/59 3,291,339 12/1966 Hein 221/45 3,313,5834/1967 Turkington et al.". 221/59 X 3,498,688 3/1970 Mott et al. 221/52X Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg [5 7] ABSTRACT A top loadingarticle dispenser including an open upper end container for receivingarticles with support means in the container to receive and support thearticles. The support means is spring loaded to urge the support meanstowards the top of the container and the top of the container isprovided with cover means that are pivotally secured adjacent the topthereof so that the cover means may be pivotally moved to a position foraccess to the container from the top thereof for loading the containerwith articles. The cover means comprises a pair of members pivotallysecured adjacent the top of the container whereby they may be moved to aposition for access to the container and thereafter moved downwardlyafter the container has been loaded with articles to aid in retainingthe articles in position in the container.

The pair of members are of less width than the open upper end of thecontainer to provide a slot in the top of the container for access tothe articles for removal from the container as desired. Spring meansmounted on the container aid in retaining said pair of members insubstantially a vertical position when loading articles into thecontainer and for aiding in retaining the pair of members in ahorizontal position.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL'I 61 14 3.823 345 SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION The closest prior art with which applicants are familiarincludes US. Pat. Nos. 1,689,571; 3,313,583; 3,095,996; 2,253,742;2,893,804; 3,291,339; 1,080,855; 3,087,647; 3,202,316; 1,564,249;2,717,085; 769,963; 2,831,602; 2,682,441; 2,781,151; 614,272; and1,929,968. All of the foregoing patents disclose various devices fordispensing articles such as tissues paper bags and other articles.However, all of such are complicated in structure and none are providedwith a flip top arrangement so that the-articles may be placed in thecontainer from the top and thereafter dispensed through the top.

In some situations such as in commercial establishments, by way ofexample only, filling stations, restrooms in office buildings and thelike, the amount of space may be limited. Additionally, in somesituations it is desirable to provide a' plurality of lavatories inclose proximity to each other and it may be desirable to provide adispenser on the same surface on which the lavatories are mounted and toprovide a minimum number of dispensers which are flush with the surfaceon which the lavatories are mounted. The present invention provides arelative simple arrangement which enables it to be flush mounted on asurface such as a counter or the like and is constructed and arranged sothat access may be had thereto through the top of the container forpositioning articles therein. Thereafter .the top may be closed and thetop is constructed and arranged to form a slot for access to thearticles in the container for withdrawal therefrom as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser for articleswhich may be quickly and easily loaded from the top and the articlesthereafter dispensed from the top.

Yet a further object is to provide a dispenser for articles which may beloaded from the top, the top being provided with spring loaded covermeans which opening means aids in retaining the cover means in properposition for loading the articles in the dispenser and for thereafterpositioning the cover means so that the articles may be dispensedthrough the cover means.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS one suitable form of containerconstruction along the the support means carried thereby for receivingand supporting the articles and urging them towards the upper open endof the container with the cover means shown open and movable asindicated by the arrows to retain the articles in position in thecontainer after having been placed therein;

FIG. 4 is an end view illustrating in full line the posi-' tion of thesupport means in the container after the container has been loaded witharticles with the cover 2 meansclosed to provide a slot for removal ofarticles therethrough; and

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional side view illustrating further structuraldetails of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will bedescribed in detail-in turn arearranged in a suitable cabinet referredto generally at 25, and the present invention is illustrated as beingpositioned between the lavatories 22 and 24 and adjacent the bottomofsurface 26 of the cabinet arrangement 25. g

- In FIG. 2, the invention 20 is shown as including a container referredto generally at 30 of generally rectangular configuration whose openupper end 30a (FIG. 3) is adjacent an opening in the surface 26 andimmediately' below such surface as shown in FIG. 4.

In FIG.' 2 the container is again referred to generally by the numeral30 and is illustrated as being of generally rectangular configuration;however, it can be appreciated that any suitable configuration for thecontainer may be employed without departing from the scope of theinvention. As illustrated the container 30 vis shown as including thevertically extending sidewalls 31 and 32 which are retained in spacedrelation by the bottom 33 connected thereto and extending therebetween.

Support means 40 are associated with the container 20 for receiving andsupporting articles within the container and for urging such articlestowards the open upper end 30a and the cover means referred to generallyby the numeral50. Such support means may be of any suitable constructionto accomplish the desired function. As shown, such supportmeans'includes slide means 42 adapted to move longitudinally ofthecontainer 30. The container 30 includes the end members 34 one of whichis provided at each end of the container, with a slot 35 extendinglongitudinally from bottom 33 and terminating at a spaced position fromthe upper end 36 of such side memberas shown at 37.The end members 34include the extensions 34a whichsupport the cover means 50 at the openupper end 30a of the container, as will be described in greater detail.

The end members 34 may be secured to the side members 31 and 32 be anysuitable means and it is to be noted that the side members 31 and 32include portions 31a and 32a respectively which overlap a portion ofeach of the end members 34 at each edge thereof as shown in thedrawings. I

The overlapping portions 31a and 32a are spaced from each end member 34so that the slide means 42 may be slidably received between the endmembers 34 and the overlapping portion 310 and 32a. Thus, a channelarrangement 38 is provided for slides 42 to move longitudinally of thecontainer 30 as will be described in greater detail. The slides 42 eachinclude a projection 45 adjacent the lower end thereof which projecv andthe end members 34 respectively enable the support means to move up anddown within the container without becoming skewed or cocked in in anundesirable manner.

Spring means 60 has one end 61 secured to the projection 45 by anysuitable means such as extending through the opening in theprojection 45and its other end is secured to a bracket 62 mounted on each of the endmembers at 34. It can be appreciated that a spring means 60 is providedon each end of the container to assist in urging the support means 40upwardly towards the cover means 50 of the container.

The container is provided with cover means referred to generally at 50in the drawings and such cover means includes a pair of members 69 and70. Stationary plate means 50a and 50b are carried by the extensions 34aand extend laterally therefrom to support container 30 on surface 36.The members 69 and 70 are pivotally secured intermediate theirlongitudinal edges by suitable hinge means referred to at 72. The hingemeans 72 are carried by the plate means 50a and 50b, and the cover means69 and 70 as more clearly shown in FIG. 3-5 inclusive.

The hinge means .72 is illustrated as being engaged with the members 69and 70 adjacent substantially centrally thereof so that the members 69and 70 may be flipped upwardly to the vertical position illustrated inFIG. 3 of the drawings. At each end of the container 30 on the plates50a and 50b leaf spring means 80 is provided and when members 69 and 70are moved to the vertical position shown in F IG. 3 of the drawings foraccess to the top of the container, the outer ends 69 and 70' of themembers 69 and 70 engage the spring means 80 positioned on the platemeans 50a and 50b which plate means are secured to extensions 34a oneach end of the container by any suitable means such as spot welding asillustrated at 80a in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. I

The leaf spring means 80 is of unique configuration in that it includestwo generally V shaped portions so that the outer edges 69' and 70' ofthe members 69 and 70 engage in the apex of each V when they arepositioned in substantially vertical position as shown in FIG. 3 foraccess to the container through the open upper end thereof.

The positioning of the edges 69 and 70 in each apex retains the members69 and 70 in substantially vertical position so that the container maybe more readily loaded with articles.

It is to be also noted that the width of the member 69 and 70 is lessthan the width of the open upper end 30a so that when they are moved toa horizontal plane as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the drawingssuitable slot means 88 are provided for access to the articles withinthe container. When the members 69 and 70 are in a horizontal plane, theedges of the spring mean 80 tends to retain them in such position.

DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION After the present invention has been placed ina cabinet or other suitable position, access to the interior of thecontainer may be had by moving the members 69 and 70 to the verticalposition as illustrated in FIG.

3. The container 30 then may be loaded, or 'may be reloaded when thearticles have all been dispensed therefrom.

In FIG. 3 the slides 42 are shown in their upper most position havingbeen urged to such position by the spring 60, and as previously notedthe construction and arrangement of the support means 40 including theslides 42, a portion'of 46 and the abutting relationship of the base 47upon which the articles rest with the container walls 34a on each endaid in proper sliding movement of such support means to urge thearticlesupwardly toward the cover means 50 of the container.

In FIG. 4 the support 40 is illustrated in its lower most position inwhich position it would be when the articles have been loaded therein.

The extensions 34a are pivotally secured by the pin means 50 to betilted toan angle relative to the balance of the container. This enablesthe device to be mounted adjacent a sloping or horizontal surface 26.When the device is installed, it is installed immediately'below anopening in the surface 26 as illustrated in FIG. 4.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that a relatively simplearrangement is-provided for receiving articles, wherein such arrangementmay be top loaded merely by flipping the members 69 and 70 into avertical position for access to the interior'of the container 30 andafter the container has been loaded, then the members 69 and 70 can bereturned to their horizontal relationship with the spring means tendingto retain them in such horizontal relationship by engagement thereofadjacent each end 69 and 70. Thus the members 69 and 70 aid in retainingthe articles within the container and bytheir spaced longitudinalconfiguration provide a slot 80 for access for removal of the articlestherefrom.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention areillustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size,shape, and materials as well as in the details of the illustratedconstruction may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is 1. A top loading article dispenser including:

a. container means having an open top;

b. support means associated with said container for supporting thearticles;

0. spring means connected to said support means for I urging thearticles towards the top of the dispenser;

cles;

b. means slidably engaged with said container and a. a base within thecontainer for supporting the articonnected with said base;-and

0. wherein said spring means engages said slide means to urge said slidemeans and base upwardly toward the top of the container.

1. A top loading article dispenser including: a. container means havingan open top; b. support means associated with said container forsupporting the articles; c. spring means connected to said support meansfor urging the articles towards the top of the dispenser; d. cover meansfor the top of the container; e. said cover means comprising a pair ofmembers pivotally mounted adjacent the top whereby they may be eachpivoted upwardly for access to the container from the top for loading itwith articles and thereafter movable to close the container and retainthe articles therein; f. said pair of members extending longitudinallyof the top of said container and being of less width than the top toprovide a slot for access to remove the articles from the container asdesired; and g. additional spring means carried by said container to aidin retaining said pair of covers in a horizontal position to aid inretaining articles within the container, and said spring means beingconfigured to aid in retaining said pair of members in substantiallyvertical position as articles are placed in said container.
 2. Theinvention of claim 1 wherein said support means includes: a. a basewithin the container for supporting the articles; b. means slidablyengaged with said container and connected with said base; and c. whereinsaid spring means engages said slide means to urge said slide means andbase upwardly toward the top of the container.